Episode 15 The Housing Enforcers


Episode 15

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Transcript


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The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.

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-See all those flies?

-Yeah.

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But for thousands of people across Britain right now,

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the reality can be more hovel than home.

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-It's just vermin, vermin and filth.

-Oh!

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It was the landlord!

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In the battle between tenants and landlords,

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it's local housing officers who are on the front line.

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We're coming in.

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-No, no.

-Police.

-Excuse me.

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I'm Matt Allwright.

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I'm trying to understand how the property could be in this condition

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while rent is still coming in.

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And I'm back on the job once again,

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joining the ranks of the housing enforcers.

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It smells like pee.

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This is somebody's playground.

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They are tackling problem properties...

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It just feels like a time bomb.

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..dealing with the consequences of the nightmare neighbours.

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-He called me a...

-And doing their best to help those in need.

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We can stand there and look at the very rich people looking back down.

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Today I join the rescue party for a derelict

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and dangerous seaside property.

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It's just water and time, that's all it takes, isn't it?

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To destroy a building.

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You can see where it's bowing and it looks like it's ready to collapse.

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It's not safe for anyone to work in there.

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It's an open and shut case for one housing officer.

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Have you spoken to your landlord about it?

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He saying, yeah, it will be done in the next couple of weeks,

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-but then it is still not done.

-And will one homeless young man...

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The worst bit about it was the cold.

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..finally find somewhere to call his own?

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His worldly possessions fit into about seven plastic bags.

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Right now, Britain is in the middle of a housing crisis.

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If you want to buy a property, chances are you will need to

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save almost three times your annual salary as a deposit

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and that'll get you a mortgage that'll make your eyes water.

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No wonder that there are now more people renting than at any

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time in the last 60 years

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and protecting those renters are the country's housing enforcers.

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In this programme, I'm training to become one of them.

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It's always nice to get out of the city with the trip to the seaside,

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but this is no ordinary day out.

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I'm on the road with Tendring Council housing officer Rob Goswell.

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The sightseeing we are doing today is anything but scenic.

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We're off to the seaside resort of Walton-on-the-Naze, where the view's

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being spoiled by a dilapidated seafront property.

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No-one's maintained the place since its owner moved out six years ago.

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And following complaints from neighbours,

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the council's decided to take the drastic step of serving a Compulsory Purchase Order.

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So tell me a bit about where we're going, Rob.

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Right. We're going to see an empty property that we're currently dealing with.

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Now, we had a gentleman living there and he couldn't live there

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any more because of his poor health, because it's a large property.

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It is in desperate need of maintenance and it went into disrepair.

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Kids got in there and caused all sorts of trouble,

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and so we've had to board it up

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and now we're looking to go through with a compulsory purchase.

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A Compulsory Purchase Order, or CPO, gives an authority the legal power to

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buy your home or land from you.

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It's a last resort,

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taken when the property's in a serious state of disrepair

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and the property owner can't or won't make the necessary improvements.

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In the past, the council's tried to compel the owner

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to carry out repairs,

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but things have become so bad now

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it's affecting the neighbouring properties.

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It's sad that it's got to this point.

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The older properties always require a lot of maintenance

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and when they haven't got it... It is a shame.

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Even though the compulsory purchase hasn't gone through yet,

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the housing team still needs to make sure the property's safe -

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in itself, a risky job.

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It can be very dangerous viewing one of these properties.

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I've got a full load of kit for you to wear.

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I don't really feel you're doing a proper job

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unless you're wearing some kind of personal protection.

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-It does make you feel the part, doesn't it?

-Yes, yes.

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Right, here we are. This is the one we're looking at today.

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-Oh, my goodness. Yes, really stands out, doesn't it?

-Yes, yes.

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Look at that.

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Even from a distance, we can see why we could be taking our lives

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in our hands going into this one

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and Ian Kavanagh seems to agree.

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-Hello, there.

-Hi.

-How are you doing? Are you all right? Good to see you.

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-I love what you've done with the place.

-Looking good, isn't it?

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'Rob's really not taking any chances with our safety.'

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I've got you some over-shoes, you'll need them. Some gloves.

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-You might need that if you want to touch anything.

-OK.

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'Don't forget, I still have my rookie status.

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'Until I've served my time, I haven't even earned the right to wear

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'official council clobber.'

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Is that one yours?

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That's a nice, official one.

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I'm not worthy of that.

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I'm not worthy of that yet.

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You've got to sort of work hard to get them kind of ones.

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I'm afraid to say, standard for you.

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That's all right. You've got to start somewhere.

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-Wow. Those boots are too big for the protectors.

-They are too big.

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Maybe we should just get one of these big black bin bags.

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This is obviously, potentially, quite a dangerous property.

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And if you see anything untoward, let us know.

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And likewise, if we say we're leaving, we all go out.

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-We don't stay in.

-Right.

-OK?

-Here we go.

-Right.

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The structural issues aren't the only thing

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Rob and Ian have to deal with.

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The property's owner had a major hoarding problem and the council's

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already shifted tonnes of belongings that have built over the years.

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There's still some way to go, though.

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This is where our hoarder lived.

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I mean, you can actually see parts of cars.

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You've got the gearbox, the suspension.

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-You've almost got the whole car...

-Yeah.

-..just here, waiting.

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Yeah, when it was occupied, it was just full.

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And, as you can see, it's degraded more and more and more over time.

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I mean, you can't even get into some rooms.

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'One room we can get into is the kitchen...just about.'

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I get a feeling it is not going to be the Mary Berry-type kitchen.

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There are stairs down, so mind yourself.

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Indeed. It seems the occupant was more into breakers yards than Bake Offs.

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-Look at that.

-You can see the extent of the hoarding, now.

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When we actually first came to this property,

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you couldn't actually gain access to any part of the building.

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I think there's more than one car here.

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I think there's several vehicles here, but it's just all piled up.

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Look, you've got... It looks like a door panel there,

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and then that's an inspection ramp.

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I've never seen anything like it. The place is rammed to the rafters.

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I'm really struggling to get my head round how things can get this bad.

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You're trying to put yourself in the frame of mind of somebody

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that is living like this, but it's impossible, isn't it, really?

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-Because, you know, it kind of defies logic, living like this.

-Yes.

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It is certainly not the way most of us... Most of us would think.

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Yeah, I mean, even from the outside it looks rundown.

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You wouldn't imagine this accumulation in here, would you at all?

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And you said half of it has been taken out already.

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-A significant amount has been removed.

-Really?

-Yeah.

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'This place isn't just grotty, though.

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'Water pouring in through a hole in the roof

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'has left it in serious danger of collapse.'

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You can see the ceiling's come down.

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I don't think you need to be an expert

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to know what's going wrong there.

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And it looks like most of the plaster has come down

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and then the boards above it, which is the floor, of the first floor...

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Are probably going to be rotten. You know, it is not very safe at all.

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It has just leaked all the way through each level,

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so it's come through the attic, through to the third floor,

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second floor and then down to here.

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You know, you think, well, an Englishman's home is his castle,

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but it's now starting to affect other people, you know? And we can't have that, really.

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When you get these big, tall terraces like these, they are

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-so interdependent, aren't they?

-Absolutely, yeah.

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You can live and let live to a point,

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but that point has long since gone, I think.

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'Coming up, I venture upstairs to see just how urgently

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'repairs are needed.'

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Just watch yourself, right there. The floor is not in good condition, it's not safe there.

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Retiring to the country in a dream for most of us.

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But in rural areas like Suffolk, the much higher number of older people

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brings its own set of challenges for the council's housing officers.

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As well as looking after the day-to-day wellbeing of the residents,

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it's sheltered housing manager Sam Thomson's job

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to show potential new tenants around vacant properties.

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I really, really enjoy my job.

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To help older people find a home where they feel safe

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and secure and will have the support they need is fantastic.

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It always amazes me, really,

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how little people know about sheltered accommodation.

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A lot of people do have a viewpoint that, when you get old,

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you go from your home into like a nursing home, or something.

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They have no idea what to expect.

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Sam's on her way to meet Irene Allsop,

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who's in an unusual situation.

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She's come to the top of the shortlist for two different

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sheltered housing schemes at the same time.

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I think I've only come across it once before,

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but I'm hoping definitely, out of one of the two,

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she will feel that it can be her new home.

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After a long and happy marriage,

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sadly Irene lost her husband two years ago.

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We had a delightful 61 years.

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We had a very good marriage.

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And so of course, when he'd gone, it virtually nearly killed me, I think.

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I wish I'd gone with him. I still do.

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No longer able to manage the rented home they shared,

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Irene's made the difficult decision to move to sheltered accommodation.

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It's now down to Sam to gently guide her through the process.

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She didn't know much about sheltered accommodation.

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When we initially spoke on the phone,

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she wasn't really sure what the property at Hadleigh was like,

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or what the property at Sudbury was like, so I gave her a brief overview

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of what each property would offer and how they differed.

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A crucial part of the job is balancing tenants' expectations

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with the reality of what's available.

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Sam first needs to find out more about Irene's circumstances.

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So, what are your reasons for wanting to move into sheltered housing?

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The reasons are my husband has died

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-and it's too big a house for one person.

-Yes, yes.

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I'd like a house with a little garden.

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-A little house with a little garden...

-Yes, yes.

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..because I do like my garden.

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'But her decision to move isn't just about wanting somewhere smaller.'

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As we get less mobile, in rural areas, it can be hard to access

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the daily services that we need -

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something Irene's only too well aware of.

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You mentioned on the phone you've given up your car as well?

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-I have, yes.

-So is there not much public transport around?

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-Very little.

-Oh, OK.

-I'm told there is only one or two, I think, a week.

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-Oh, really?

-Yes.

-That's not a lot at all, is it?

-It's rubbish.

-Yes.

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There's only one shop in the town as well

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and that's supposed to be selling up.

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So with a garden and access to shops and public transport

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top of Irene's list, there is a clear frontrunner out of the two schemes -

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property number one.

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Well, the Hadleigh and the Sudbury schemes

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are quite different in their ways.

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The Hadleigh scheme is external, so it's out in the community.

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That property does come with a garden.

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The one in Sudbury is internal, so it is in a building complex,

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and that doesn't come with a garden. So the Hadleigh one,

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-you might find it more suitable for what you're looking for.

-Yes.

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Can you get to places from Hadleigh?

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Yes. There are regular buses to Sudbury and to Ipswich.

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I don't like Ipswich.

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Hmm. Maybe not quite as easy as Sam was hoping.

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Irene's got definite ideas about where she wants to live,

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but the move is a huge change and it needs to be right.

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-So, the property we've come to view is number three.

-Yes.

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It's just over here.

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-It's a bit of a hole-y road, isn't it?

-Yes.

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Unfortunately it's the bad weather, isn't it? So...

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-This is the property.

-I like the ducks, are they left there?

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-They have been left there, yes.

-That's all right then.

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She likes the ducks. This could be a winner.

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-There we go.

-OK.

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So this is your lounge area.

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Oh, that's not a bad size, is it?

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It is a really, really good size. And the bedroom is through there.

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Yes.

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-This is going well.

-This one is big enough.

-Yes.

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It's got a lovely big kitchen. Fridges usually go under there.

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And that's where your boiler

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-and airing cupboard area is.

-Air clothes, yes.

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But just as things seem to be going well,

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Irene's spotted something in that, well, just won't wash.

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Where would I put my washing machine?

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Well, if there's no fittings for it,

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I don't think they cater for a washing machine.

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So I've got to go outside and spend money on doing that?

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Well, no, a lot of the tenants here do go over to Sydney Brown Court,

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-just literally opposite us...

-Yes.

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..and use their communal laundry facilities.

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Nope, nope. That's no good. OK, Sam, there's only one thing for it.

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Show her the garden! Show her the garden!

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So, from that second post from us here to the third one,

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-that would be your section of garden.

-Yes.

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And obviously you've got your litter area at the front as well.

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It is a garden, but I don't think Irene likes it.

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So, have you really got your heart set on a garden, have you?

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I do really want a garden. It depends on the house.

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It looks like this place is a nonstarter.

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And property number two in Sudbury is far from ideal,

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with no private outside space.

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We do have a little communal garden area, but that is...

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You know, maintained by Bedfordshire Council.

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It doesn't sound like it's worth going to see, does it?

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No. If it doesn't meet what you're after then we don't have to go

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and view it. That's absolutely fine.

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Neither of the properties is what Irene is looking for,

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so she's going to stay put for now.

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Properties will of course come up

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in different areas of the sheltered accommodation.

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So if one comes up of interest to you that has a garden,

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put a bid in and fingers crossed you may be fortunate there.

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Things haven't gone according to plan for Sam today,

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but it's all part of the job.

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Each person is different, of course,

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so everybody wants different things out of the accommodation.

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So we try to meet the needs as best as we can but sometimes,

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unfortunately, we just can't.

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Giving up your home and starting again somewhere new at Irene's age

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is never going to be easy, but at least she's thinking about it.

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Now she knows more about sheltered, she can maybe ease herself

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into having to give up certain things that

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she has in her own home at the moment.

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She is in no rush, so eventually a property will come up

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that will be suitable for her.

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Irene's still waiting for that perfect property to become available.

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Hopefully one with a garden she can call her own...and ducks.

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There must be ducks.

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In Tendring, the council was forced to serve

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a Compulsory Purchase Order on the dilapidated seafront house

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abandoned since its elderly owner moved out six years ago.

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It's a situation made even more difficult

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by the former owner's hoarding habits.

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You've got the gearbox, the suspension.

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You've almost got the whole car, just here, waiting.

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We've taken a look at a ground floor.

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Now it's time to assess the damage upstairs.

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Just watch yourself right there.

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We're not going back here, as you can see.

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-The floor's not in a good condition. It's not safe there.

-Right.

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This room to the left here, it's a no-go as well.

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-The one-room we can go in is on the right-hand side - that's fine.

-OK.

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Well, I say fine. Relatively speaking.

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-'The house is rotting from the roof down.'

-We're not going in this room.

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As you can see, obviously,

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the leak has extended over here and it's slightly collapsed.

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You can see sort of mould growth along here.

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There is some substantial growth in a sort of lovely number eight.

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-That's impressive.

-When I first came in here,

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the water ingress wasn't as bad.

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'I can now see why Rob was so concerned about our safety.

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'One false step and we could go right through

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'the soaking wet floor boards.'

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-This is a bit more solid here, is it?

-Yes, this is OK.

0:16:360:16:39

It is just water and time, that's all it takes, isn't it?

0:16:390:16:42

-To destroy a building.

-Not a lot of time either, really.

0:16:420:16:45

Five years, really.

0:16:450:16:47

'The structural damage caused by the leaking roof is the big problem here,

0:16:470:16:51

'but the former owner's reluctance to chuck anything out isn't

0:16:510:16:54

'making the job of sorting it out any easier.'

0:16:540:16:57

So how do you start to clear out a house like this?

0:16:570:16:59

Because you can't really get into that room to do the work.

0:16:590:17:01

This is why we've had a real major issue -

0:17:010:17:04

doing it but doing it in a safe way.

0:17:040:17:06

You can see where it is bowing, it looks like it's ready to collapse.

0:17:060:17:09

It's not safe for anyone to work in there.

0:17:090:17:11

You've got half a tonne of junk. Televisions and cars...

0:17:110:17:15

and all sorts of stuff that is just going to go through at some stage,

0:17:150:17:19

-so you can't really be working underneath that.

-No, you can't.

0:17:190:17:22

-So, yeah, that one is a no-go.

-I'm happy with staying out of that one.

0:17:220:17:27

Beyond the decay in the dirt,

0:17:270:17:28

you can see that the this used to be a beautiful Georgian house.

0:17:280:17:31

While it's really sad that a property like this has ended

0:17:310:17:34

up in such a terrible state, with a bit of time and a lot of hard work

0:17:340:17:38

from the housing team, hopefully it can be restored to its former glory.

0:17:380:17:42

If you look in that room,

0:17:430:17:45

there are still the remnants of a life there underneath the rubble

0:17:450:17:50

and the damp and the roof that's come down.

0:17:500:17:53

Then out of the windows is just the most spectacular view.

0:17:530:17:57

And this is going to be...

0:17:570:17:59

It's going to be a while,

0:17:590:18:00

but it's going to be a spectacular home for somebody again.

0:18:000:18:03

But before it gets to that stage,

0:18:050:18:07

they've got to clear what was somebody's life out first.

0:18:070:18:11

Unbelievable.

0:18:120:18:14

'And even when the junk's gone,

0:18:140:18:15

'there's still going to be a huge amount to do to put the house right.'

0:18:150:18:19

Yeah, it is going to need a bit of work, that one.

0:18:190:18:22

We're going to have to put scaffolding up over the roof.

0:18:220:18:25

Each floor is going to have to be supported and then

0:18:250:18:29

we can look at what works need to be done.

0:18:290:18:32

We're probably going to have to clear out to get a good idea

0:18:320:18:34

-of what the structure of the building is like...

-Yeah.

0:18:340:18:37

..other than just a quick glance that we just had now,

0:18:370:18:40

and then we can go on from there.

0:18:400:18:42

Then, realistically,

0:18:420:18:44

how long before somebody else could be making this a home?

0:18:440:18:47

You know, ballpark figure, I would say about three or four months.

0:18:470:18:51

It won't be back to absolutely pristine,

0:18:510:18:53

but you're coming to the point where it is then a blank canvas

0:18:530:18:56

-and then we can move from there.

-It's got floors, it's got clean walls...

-Yeah.

0:18:560:19:00

-..and we can have another go.

-Yeah.

0:19:000:19:02

-It looks like the end of the tunnel on this one now, so...

-Good stuff.

0:19:020:19:05

Let's get our kits off then.

0:19:050:19:07

With inside falling down and the outside an eyesore, one person who

0:19:090:19:12

is delighted the house

0:19:120:19:14

will be getting a new owner is neighbour David Wilson.

0:19:140:19:18

He has lived next door for 30 years

0:19:180:19:20

and watched its dilapidation starting to affect his own home.

0:19:200:19:25

Well, it's very good news.

0:19:250:19:26

The property itself has become damp

0:19:260:19:28

and that damp has seeped through into our place.

0:19:280:19:31

Then, of course, there's the steady deterioration of the exterior.

0:19:310:19:36

It is a bit of an eyesore.

0:19:360:19:38

The place was just steadily allowed to fall into rack and ruin.

0:19:380:19:42

Well, I mean, any kind of renovation would be better than as it stands.

0:19:420:19:47

Ideally, you would want the council to ensure that they sell it

0:19:470:19:50

to somebody who is in a position to restore it properly.

0:19:500:19:55

Ian Kavanagh's back and it seemed like the council's decision to

0:19:550:19:58

buy the house was the right one.

0:19:580:20:00

At least nobody has managed to break down the boarding or anything,

0:20:000:20:03

so nobody has broken in.

0:20:030:20:05

With the Compulsory Purchase nearly complete,

0:20:050:20:07

hopefully it won't be long before the house is brought back to its former glory.

0:20:070:20:11

It is a fantastic building. If you look at the buildings either side, they look lovely.

0:20:110:20:15

When this is done up, it will look just like them

0:20:150:20:18

and it will be fantastic.

0:20:180:20:20

We should take possession of it in ten days and, when that happens,

0:20:200:20:23

we have hopefully got a buyer lined up.

0:20:230:20:25

So we can do a back-to-back sale.

0:20:260:20:28

At the moment, it is a bit hard to imagine what it is going to be like when it's finished.

0:20:280:20:32

But when it's finished, I'm sure it will be lovely

0:20:320:20:34

and you can come and have a look and marvel at it.

0:20:340:20:37

Unfortunately, the private buyer

0:20:370:20:39

who previously expressed an interest has dropped out.

0:20:390:20:42

The council's revalued the property and, once the building's been

0:20:420:20:45

strengthened and cleaned, it will go to a sealed bid or an auction.

0:20:450:20:48

Hopefully, one day soon, this house will be a home again.

0:20:480:20:52

Ensuring that we have a place that is safe and decent to live

0:20:580:21:02

is the job of housing officers across the UK.

0:21:020:21:04

Sorry to get off the subject, but look at this!

0:21:040:21:07

And in this series,

0:21:070:21:08

I will be working alongside those men and women that do just that.

0:21:080:21:12

Don't leave any food for cockroaches on the table,

0:21:120:21:15

-so clearly they've got a pest problem in here as well.

-Yeah.

0:21:150:21:18

People do die in properties like this.

0:21:180:21:20

I'm hitting the streets...

0:21:200:21:22

We got upgraded to the copper knock.

0:21:220:21:24

..I'm learning on the job.

0:21:240:21:26

What the hell is that?

0:21:260:21:27

It's a right old mess in there, isn't it?

0:21:270:21:29

I'll be finding out what it takes to make sure that everyone's

0:21:290:21:32

house is fit to be called a home.

0:21:320:21:34

He is constructing a vast castle.

0:21:340:21:38

You know, the enforcement you're talking about

0:21:380:21:40

-means men coming in with hammers.

-Yes.

0:21:400:21:42

In Salford, the housing team isn't just there to make sure

0:21:480:21:51

the homes people rent come up to scratch.

0:21:510:21:54

It's also their job to help some people find a home

0:21:540:21:57

in the first place - people like 21-year-old Callum.

0:21:570:21:59

Callum, who has mental health issues, was excluded from school at 15,

0:22:010:22:05

when he was arrested and cautioned

0:22:050:22:07

for an assault after a row with a teacher.

0:22:070:22:10

At 18, he ended up sleeping rough when his mum told him

0:22:100:22:13

he had to leave home.

0:22:130:22:14

Tell me about what happened on the day she kicked you out.

0:22:140:22:17

We always had the odd petty arguments, as families do,

0:22:170:22:20

and stuff that that. But she would always go, "I'm kicking you out

0:22:200:22:23

"if you don't have a job tomorrow", or something like that.

0:22:230:22:26

And then one day I came back and me bags were on the door.

0:22:260:22:29

Like, you know, just outside on the door. So that was it, really,

0:22:290:22:32

and I had nowhere to go.

0:22:320:22:34

I was on the streets for three months or something like that.

0:22:340:22:37

So when you say on the streets, where did you actually sleep?

0:22:370:22:40

What were the practicalities of it?

0:22:400:22:42

I mean, the worst bit about it was the cold.

0:22:420:22:45

When you're walking down the street and it's freezing because of the icy wind,

0:22:450:22:49

you quickly learn where places aren't as cold, for example, alleyways -

0:22:490:22:52

get warm, or as warm as you can hope for.

0:22:520:22:56

It sounds like you very quickly had to learn how to be homeless.

0:22:560:22:59

-Yeah.

-How to survive, really.

0:22:590:23:02

How to eat and drink and stuff like that...sort of.

0:23:020:23:06

What I used to do is,

0:23:060:23:07

I'd grab something like a butty and a Mars Bar,

0:23:070:23:09

or something, and I would walk around and eat it in the shop.

0:23:090:23:12

Then I'd walk out, you know, really fast.

0:23:120:23:15

Could you have gone back to your mum's place, to your family's home,

0:23:150:23:18

and said, "Look, I'm really sorry, I'll try and make a new start"?

0:23:180:23:22

Or was that totally off the cards at that point?

0:23:220:23:25

That was totally off the cards.

0:23:250:23:26

Me and me mum fell out for a long time after this.

0:23:260:23:29

I can understand why, now. Now that I've sort of grown up a bit, myself,

0:23:300:23:35

I can understand why she did it, like.

0:23:350:23:37

Would you broadly define this period that we've been

0:23:370:23:40

-talking about, from 15 to what you are now, 21?

-Yeah, 21.

0:23:400:23:44

-So six years, basically growing up, that's what it is.

-Yeah, basically.

0:23:440:23:49

Because I was just a stupid kid, until I was 18, like.

0:23:490:23:53

-It's difficult admitting that your mum's right.

-Exactly.

0:23:530:23:57

-Exactly, that's what it is.

-It's all right, you can say it to me.

-Yeah.

0:23:570:24:03

Nearly 111,000 people made applications to register

0:24:030:24:06

as homeless across the UK last year -

0:24:060:24:09

over half of them were under 25.

0:24:090:24:12

One in five are affected by substance abuse

0:24:120:24:15

and mental health issues.

0:24:150:24:16

The most common reason young people end up homeless is

0:24:160:24:19

because their family's no longer willing to house them.

0:24:190:24:23

Luckily for Callum, he's off the streets now.

0:24:230:24:25

After living in a succession of hostels,

0:24:250:24:28

he's in Salford Council's temporary accommodation,

0:24:280:24:30

under the watchful eye of supported tenancies officer Vicky Fitton.

0:24:300:24:34

My job is to support anybody, young or old,

0:24:340:24:37

that gets placed in temporary accommodation.

0:24:370:24:39

Some can't read or write, some have mental health issues.

0:24:390:24:43

And living rough hasn't helped Callum's own mental health problems.

0:24:430:24:47

Because he's been homeless, he hasn't had access to doctors,

0:24:470:24:51

he hasn't had the medication that he is on now.

0:24:510:24:54

So he has been known to self medicate with alcohol to get

0:24:540:24:58

over his severe anxiety and depression.

0:24:580:25:01

Happily, he's now getting the help he needs.

0:25:010:25:05

Callum is a much, much calmer person.

0:25:050:25:07

Because his life was so chaotic,

0:25:070:25:09

he was not getting the support from his psychiatrist,

0:25:090:25:12

he wasn't working with Mind and the mental health team,

0:25:120:25:16

whereas he's working with all professionals involved at the minute.

0:25:160:25:20

After two months in temporary accommodation,

0:25:200:25:22

Vicky's found Callum a permanent home in a social housing scheme,

0:25:220:25:26

but that's not the end of the story.

0:25:260:25:28

As a supported tenancies officer, it is her job to give him

0:25:280:25:31

ongoing help to make sure he doesn't end up back on the street.

0:25:310:25:35

We try and help people to budget,

0:25:350:25:37

to give them the skills that they need to make sure

0:25:370:25:39

that their tenancy is successful.

0:25:390:25:41

Anything from managing his money to avoid getting into rent arrears...

0:25:410:25:45

Hello, it is Vicky from Supported Tenancies.

0:25:450:25:47

..to basic help with the everyday bits of life the rest of us

0:25:470:25:50

take for granted, such as making phone calls or opening letters.

0:25:500:25:55

Vicky's visiting Callum at his temporary accommodation

0:25:550:25:58

to give him some good news.

0:25:580:25:59

-Hi, Callum.

-Hi, Vicky.

-Right, should we start with the good news?

0:26:020:26:06

Have you had confirmation of your offer through?

0:26:060:26:09

Yeah, I got a letter the other day.

0:26:090:26:11

Right, so that's confirming that the offer is definitely yours.

0:26:110:26:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

0:26:140:26:16

It said...as long as I get good references then,

0:26:160:26:20

yeah, it's basically fine, yeah.

0:26:200:26:23

It's looking good, but Callum's been having trouble

0:26:230:26:26

claiming the right benefits,

0:26:260:26:27

which could put his new tenancy in jeopardy before it even starts.

0:26:270:26:31

My money is still the same at the moment, so...

0:26:310:26:33

-Are you still on the reduced rate?

-I'm still on the reduced rate.

0:26:330:26:36

Callum, are you all right if we just ring up

0:26:360:26:38

the Department for Work and Pensions?

0:26:380:26:40

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Without the right benefits,

0:26:400:26:43

he could quickly end up in rent arrears,

0:26:430:26:45

so Vicky's straight on the phone.

0:26:450:26:46

Obviously Callum is in financial hardship at the minute.

0:26:460:26:49

I was just wondering if he was any closer to putting his money up to the correct rate?

0:26:490:26:53

Desperate to turn his life around,

0:26:530:26:55

Callum is hoping that having a permanent home can get him on track.

0:26:550:26:59

Living in this flat is really good, I've enjoyed it,

0:26:590:27:03

but it's not your own house. You can't really do anything.

0:27:030:27:05

You can't get a job without having a fixed abode,

0:27:050:27:07

and you can't get a fixed abode because you don't have the money for it until you get a job.

0:27:070:27:11

It is sort of like a Catch-22 thing.

0:27:110:27:13

Thanks to the call, getting him back on his feet again

0:27:130:27:16

is another step closer.

0:27:160:27:18

They have updated your claim, so the payment that you're due

0:27:180:27:21

on the 24th of this month will be at the correct rate.

0:27:210:27:25

And Callum's hoping a stable place to live will be the start of a brighter future.

0:27:250:27:28

It's what everyone wants, don't they? Everyone wants a home, everyone wants a good life,

0:27:280:27:32

so I'm hoping it will be...

0:27:320:27:34

I'll get this flat and it will be the start of a new life, basically.

0:27:340:27:37

I'll get a flat and hopefully I'll get a job.

0:27:370:27:40

It is definitely a fresh start.

0:27:400:27:42

I'm very excited about it.

0:27:420:27:45

They've got one chance.

0:27:450:27:47

If he messes this up,

0:27:470:27:49

and things aren't put in place, or her gets rent arrears,

0:27:490:27:52

there is no second chance.

0:27:520:27:54

That's it. So we need to make sure that he does succeed.

0:27:540:27:57

See you later, Callum!

0:27:570:27:59

Later, we'll be finding out

0:27:590:28:01

if Callum finally gets the chance to put his house in order.

0:28:010:28:04

Fingers crossed, by the end of today, he should have the keys

0:28:040:28:07

to his own permanent property.

0:28:070:28:09

Most of us walk or drive past hundreds, possibly thousands,

0:28:130:28:17

of front doors every day.

0:28:170:28:19

They are a barrier against the elements,

0:28:190:28:21

security for our families, a welcoming threshold.

0:28:210:28:24

But for an experienced housing officer who has built up that

0:28:240:28:27

housing sixth sense, a front door can say so much more.

0:28:270:28:31

In Stafford, one particular house popped up on the housing

0:28:330:28:37

officer radar of Chris Butcher.

0:28:370:28:39

This house has been bugging me for a while.

0:28:460:28:48

I drive past it every day and I can see the damage to the front door.

0:28:480:28:51

I have spoken with the tenants before and I'm coming back now to see what we can do.

0:28:510:28:55

The issue with this property wasn't reported to Chris.

0:28:550:28:58

Instead, he took it upon himself to investigate.

0:28:580:29:02

Tenant Dominic, who lives here with his young family,

0:29:020:29:06

is pleased that he has.

0:29:060:29:07

You can see from the road that it is still looking pretty terrible.

0:29:070:29:10

Have you spoken to your landlord about it?

0:29:100:29:12

Yes, yes, I've already spoken with him, but then he just ignored.

0:29:120:29:16

From the first time when we start reporting doors

0:29:160:29:19

and most of the things in that house, he is just ignoring.

0:29:190:29:24

Or he's saying, "Yes, that will be done in next couple of weeks' time",

0:29:240:29:27

but they're still not done.

0:29:270:29:30

Chris has the Housing Act of 2004 on his side.

0:29:300:29:33

Housing officers will assess privately rented properties under

0:29:330:29:36

the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

0:29:360:29:39

It states that...

0:29:390:29:42

Classes of hazard include...

0:29:470:29:50

And Dominic's dodgy door looks like a clear security hazard to me.

0:29:550:29:59

And does it cause you any particular concerns about the security of your home?

0:29:590:30:03

I mean, yeah, I'm actually scared of my family because of that.

0:30:030:30:06

Because it is a front door, everyone can see them,

0:30:060:30:08

sometimes during the night-time.

0:30:080:30:10

-We cannot lock them because we have no keys to them doors.

-Right.

0:30:100:30:15

-So you don't have the key to your front door?

-Exactly, yeah.

0:30:150:30:18

And then when someone see them doors, they are open.

0:30:180:30:21

-Going into our house.

-I've spoken to your landlord already,

0:30:210:30:25

who had assured me that a lot of work was taking place.

0:30:250:30:29

And I will try and get the gauge

0:30:290:30:30

about how long he thinks it will take, what is his timescales.

0:30:300:30:34

If they seem excessive, I think I'll then look to see what

0:30:360:30:40

enforcement action would be worthwhile to replace the door alone.

0:30:400:30:43

So...if I can get them to push forward on that,

0:30:430:30:47

especially if I start talking about, "Look, there are some cost implications here".

0:30:470:30:50

If I'm going to have to serve a notice, I'm going to charge him for doing it,

0:30:500:30:54

which will increase the cost.

0:30:540:30:55

Whereas if you just replaced the door - no harm, no foul.

0:30:550:30:58

Chris is hopeful that the landlord will cooperate

0:30:580:31:01

and fix the rotten door.

0:31:010:31:03

But if he doesn't, Chris has a range of enforcement options.

0:31:030:31:07

Local authorities have a duty to take enforcement action to secure

0:31:070:31:11

necessary improvements where category one or serious hazards are present

0:31:110:31:16

and they have discretion to intervene

0:31:160:31:19

where category two hazards are present.

0:31:190:31:21

The first option is to open a dialogue with the landlord.

0:31:210:31:25

If that fails, the housing officer can issue an improvement notice

0:31:250:31:28

to draw attention to the problem.

0:31:280:31:30

If there is still no response, the council can take emergency action

0:31:300:31:34

to fix the hazard or even ban the use of the property as a dwelling.

0:31:340:31:39

To make matters worse, the front door isn't the only security

0:31:390:31:42

problem that Dominic and his family had to deal with.

0:31:420:31:45

All this property is not security locked.

0:31:470:31:51

The back gate is all the time open, actually, he has got no lock on it.

0:31:510:31:57

So we had a situation a few days ago...

0:31:570:32:00

someone set up a fire in our shed...

0:32:000:32:04

and my car is burned as well.

0:32:040:32:06

OK, so this used to be the shed, I take it.

0:32:060:32:08

-Yes, that was the shed.

-I can see the burnt tree.

0:32:080:32:12

There must have been one heck of a fire that had taken place here

0:32:120:32:15

and it doesn't surprise me at all that your car got damaged as a result.

0:32:150:32:18

Exactly, yeah. And the police officer said,

0:32:180:32:21

because the property wasn't secured properly,

0:32:210:32:24

everyone could come into our property.

0:32:240:32:27

-Because of security?

-Yeah, yeah. I think that is the main reason.

0:32:270:32:30

Because there is so many sheds around, so why ours?

0:32:300:32:34

Probably because of the gate, so...

0:32:340:32:36

I can lock my gate, just like that, but you can see...

0:32:360:32:40

I can see it's not very good. I can see it's not easy to shut.

0:32:450:32:48

And even if you lock that, everyone can get into your property.

0:32:480:32:54

Obviously the landlord has done those bit, so we can have a chat

0:32:540:32:57

and see whether he is willing to do the gate as well.

0:32:570:33:00

I guess that, when you see one thing that's wrong, it is sometimes

0:33:000:33:03

an indication that there are other things to go and have a look at.

0:33:030:33:06

A bad front door can also mean that the landlord is not willing

0:33:060:33:08

to undertake some other works. It could also mean, of course,

0:33:080:33:11

that they don't necessarily have the money to do the repairs.

0:33:110:33:14

So there can be many reasons why works don't get done,

0:33:140:33:16

so a lot of the time it is about talking to people

0:33:160:33:19

and seeing what we can do to help.

0:33:190:33:20

Hopefully, Chris's persuasive approach will do the job.

0:33:200:33:24

And two weeks later...

0:33:250:33:27

Look at that! A nice, shiny new front door for Dominic and his family.

0:33:290:33:33

I mean, it is a pity they haven't taken the old one away with them,

0:33:330:33:37

although I'm sure Chris was will spot that next time he's driving by.

0:33:370:33:41

In Salford, 21-year-old Callum is also thinking about his front door -

0:33:460:33:51

the one he will soon be opening to his very first flat.

0:33:510:33:55

He ended up sleeping rough

0:33:550:33:56

when he was forced to leave home after falling out with his family.

0:33:560:34:00

The worst bit about it was the cold.

0:34:010:34:04

But with the help of supported tenancies officer Vicky Fitton,

0:34:040:34:07

Callum is trying to turn his life around.

0:34:070:34:10

Vicky has found him a permanent home in a social housing scheme

0:34:100:34:14

and today he is going to see his new flat for the first time.

0:34:140:34:17

We're going to go and pick Callum up because he has got a viewing

0:34:170:34:21

and a sign-up of a property that I nominated him for.

0:34:210:34:24

So fingers crossed, by the end of today,

0:34:240:34:27

he should have the keys to his own permanent property.

0:34:270:34:31

Hello! All right, jump in, Callum.

0:34:340:34:38

After 12 years on the job,

0:34:380:34:39

Vicky is no stranger to what that can mean to someone like Callum.

0:34:390:34:43

It's stability. Sometimes it's the first time within their whole life

0:34:430:34:47

that they have got stability.

0:34:470:34:49

A lot of the young people that we work with come from very, very,

0:34:490:34:52

very chaotic backgrounds.

0:34:520:34:54

Callum's had quite a turbulent young life, so it is a really,

0:34:540:34:58

really positive day.

0:34:580:34:59

Hopefully, today is a whole new start for Callum

0:35:000:35:03

and Vicky Rawcliffe from the Irlwell Valley Housing Association

0:35:030:35:07

is on hand to make sure it all runs smoothly.

0:35:070:35:10

-Hi Vicky, you all right?

-Yeah, I'm good. How are you?

0:35:100:35:12

-I'm all right.

-Happy New Year!

0:35:120:35:14

-Happy New Year!

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi, you all right?

-Yeah.

0:35:140:35:17

-Looks all right, doesn't it?

-Yet, it's nice.

-Fab.

0:35:170:35:20

This is the best part of my job...

0:35:240:35:28

having a nosy.

0:35:280:35:30

Come on in.

0:35:300:35:33

I'll put the lights on for you.

0:35:330:35:36

-This is really nice.

-It's quite big, isn't it?

0:35:360:35:40

-This will be your front room.

-The living room, yeah.

0:35:430:35:46

-I've got a communal garden.

-Oh, how good is this?

-I know.

0:35:460:35:50

As long as you abide by your tenancy agreement,

0:35:500:35:52

-make sure your rent is paid...

-Yeah, yeah.

0:35:520:35:55

-This is yours for as long as you want it.

-It's really big, isn't it?

0:35:550:35:59

-A proper bachelor pad.

-Yeah.

0:35:590:36:02

-There's one more formality and the flat is all his.

-OK. Thank you.

0:36:020:36:06

And I'll sign underneath for the landlord.

0:36:060:36:09

Because it is your first tenancy, obviously,

0:36:100:36:12

anything that you may need you should find in this booklet.

0:36:120:36:16

And this is for things like who supplies your gas,

0:36:160:36:19

who supplies your electric, what you do in an emergency,

0:36:190:36:22

the numbers that you need to ring if you smell gas etc.

0:36:220:36:25

-And these are your front door to your flat keys.

-Yeah.

0:36:250:36:29

-Enjoy your new home.

-Thank you.

-All the best.

-I know, you too.

0:36:290:36:32

-Happy decorating!

-I will do.

0:36:320:36:34

-Right.

-HE LAUGHS

0:36:340:36:38

Yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy, now. It is all sorted.

0:36:380:36:41

After months of hard work, Vicky couldn't be happier either.

0:36:410:36:44

-Have you got your keys?

-Yeah, I got them here.

-Yay!

0:36:440:36:49

Getting Callum moved in as quickly as possible is Vicky's next challenge.

0:36:490:36:53

Obviously, you're in temporary accommodation now.

0:36:530:36:55

You can only pay housing benefit on one,

0:36:550:36:58

so basically as soon as your furniture is all in,

0:36:580:37:01

we need to get you in.

0:37:010:37:02

-Okey dokey. So...

-Probably tomorrow night, providing you've got gas,

0:37:020:37:05

-electric and things like that.

-So move in properly tomorrow night?

0:37:050:37:08

Yeah. I'll come and help you tomorrow.

0:37:080:37:10

If you pack up tonight, all your bits and your bags.

0:37:100:37:12

Yeah, I'll get everything sorted.

0:37:120:37:14

I'm pretty excited now that I've got my own place, finally.

0:37:140:37:17

With councils preventing young people becoming homeless in just one

0:37:170:37:21

of five cases, Callum is definitely one of the more fortunate ones.

0:37:210:37:25

And seeing as it's moving day,

0:37:250:37:27

I'm rolling up my sleeves to help him get settled in.

0:37:270:37:30

-It's a good space, isn't it? And it's fairly light.

-Yeah.

0:37:320:37:35

'Having the stability of his own permanent home is a massive

0:37:350:37:38

'step forward for Callum.'

0:37:380:37:41

From not having nothing to being in my own place now,

0:37:410:37:44

I'm moving up. I've stuck at it.

0:37:440:37:46

I've gone to my appointments and spoke to Vicky.

0:37:460:37:49

I've done everything she's asked me. I've not been lazy.

0:37:490:37:52

I've been sort of up and about.

0:37:520:37:54

So I'm glad to see that it has all paid off, in a sense, yeah.

0:37:540:37:57

I hope it's the launch pad for something really, really enjoyable.

0:37:570:38:04

Yeah, hopefully, yeah.

0:38:040:38:05

'Now he's got his own place, Callum can look to the future.

0:38:050:38:08

'He is hoping to continue his education.'

0:38:080:38:11

I'm thinking, right, not that I'm trying to organise things,

0:38:110:38:14

but that is the perfect place for a bookshelf, right there.

0:38:140:38:16

-It's where you can put all your books.

-That would be all right, yeah.

0:38:160:38:19

-That is asking for a little desk.

-In the corner.

0:38:190:38:22

Don't do what I said, do whatever you like. It's your place, mate.

0:38:220:38:26

It only really strikes me what Callum has been through

0:38:260:38:29

when I see his baggage - there just isn't enough.

0:38:290:38:33

This is not a big flat by any means,

0:38:330:38:35

but his worldly possessions fit into about...

0:38:350:38:38

I don't know, seven plastic bags.

0:38:400:38:42

He is missing some of the most important bits that you need

0:38:420:38:47

to have a life by yourself -

0:38:470:38:49

things like a bed, a fridge -

0:38:490:38:52

but luckily a delivery has just arrived, thanks to Vicky.

0:38:520:38:56

As well as finding him a place to live,

0:38:570:38:59

it's also part of support worker Vicky's job

0:38:590:39:02

to give him all the basics he needs to set up home,

0:39:020:39:05

but it doesn't stop there.

0:39:050:39:06

-This is what they call a full service, Vicky.

-It is.

0:39:080:39:11

Where you are actually making your client's beds for them.

0:39:110:39:14

I am worried some people might accuse the council of being too soft

0:39:140:39:18

and handing Callum everything on a plate.

0:39:180:39:19

There are going to be people watching this who are going to look at it and go,

0:39:190:39:23

"OK, so he's got the flat. He's been given, you know, the cooker

0:39:230:39:27

and the other things that people have to work very hard for."

0:39:270:39:30

And have you got results where you can say, "No, this works."

0:39:300:39:34

By giving people the proper start, it prevents that problem later on.

0:39:340:39:38

-Because that's what you need, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Hard results.

0:39:380:39:40

The amount of tenancies that fail reduce significantly

0:39:400:39:46

if they have a support worker, just to set them up initially

0:39:460:39:49

and make sure that everything is paid.

0:39:490:39:52

With a lot of these guys, particularly if they are a little bit younger,

0:39:520:39:55

it is a little bit easy...

0:39:550:39:56

-Hold on, I've gone inside out.

-No, that's right.

-I've done it.

0:39:560:39:59

-I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it.

-All right, you do it.

0:39:590:40:01

I've got it! I've got it!

0:40:010:40:03

When they are a bit younger, it is quite easy for them to bury

0:40:030:40:05

their heads in the sand and think, "Oh, it is all going to go away".

0:40:050:40:09

And it doesn't. It just gets worse.

0:40:090:40:11

Not necessarily just young people... People that have got

0:40:110:40:15

a poor education, people that have mental health issues.

0:40:150:40:19

-It seems like Callum has been very lucky...

-Yes.

-..from this point.

0:40:190:40:23

What is it that, in his situation, that has triggered this place

0:40:230:40:28

and this package that comes with it?

0:40:280:40:31

Callum's quite fortunate to have a support worker

0:40:310:40:34

that nominated him for this property.

0:40:340:40:36

Everybody in temporary accommodation has to have a support worker,

0:40:360:40:41

just so we can keep the process...

0:40:410:40:43

You know, we make sure that we are we are receiving housing benefit

0:40:430:40:46

for the temporary accommodation, we're bidding, we're looking...

0:40:460:40:49

We're teaching them to budget while they're in that temporary accommodation as well.

0:40:490:40:53

The more time I spend with Callum,

0:40:530:40:55

the more I am realising how support like this really might help

0:40:550:40:59

make sure he doesn't end up back on the streets.

0:40:590:41:01

He's gone from homelessness to being part of "generation rent",

0:41:030:41:10

being a renter with his own place, within a matter of weeks.

0:41:100:41:14

It feels like it is quite a steep learning curve

0:41:160:41:19

to pick up all the things you need to do,

0:41:190:41:21

and the skills you need to get,

0:41:210:41:22

to be able to run your own place properly.

0:41:220:41:25

The flat is really coming together.

0:41:260:41:28

Now what Callum needs to learn is how to look after guests.

0:41:280:41:32

Yeah, it's his house now.

0:41:320:41:34

Got to get this on the go as quickly as possible, but it's not my job.

0:41:340:41:38

It's the householder's job to get the kettle on.

0:41:380:41:40

Callum!

0:41:430:41:45

'Without Vicky and Salford Supported Tenancies Service,

0:41:450:41:48

'things could be very different for Callum,

0:41:480:41:50

'but he needs to know she won't be there for him forever.'

0:41:500:41:53

What do we do now with Callum, is that it? Do we just back off?

0:41:530:41:58

Support won't carry on for much longer.

0:41:590:42:02

Realistically, I'll probably be supporting

0:42:020:42:04

and focusing my time on the next

0:42:040:42:06

-person that moves into Callum's old flat.

-Right.

0:42:060:42:09

It seems positive and you just...

0:42:090:42:12

At this moment, you want to kind of bottle it in a way

0:42:120:42:14

-and just keep this hope.

-This is the good part of the job.

0:42:140:42:19

This is the results. This makes what coming to work is all about.

0:42:190:42:24

Since Callum moved in, he's been doing really well.

0:42:270:42:30

It is proving to be the fresh start that Vicky really wanted for him

0:42:300:42:34

and Callum's even considering volunteering for the charity

0:42:340:42:38

that provided a lot of his furniture.

0:42:380:42:41

So far, good news for everyone involved.

0:42:410:42:44

That's it for today.

0:42:480:42:49

Join me next time, when I'll be learning more about what it

0:42:490:42:52

takes to be a front-line housing officer.

0:42:520:42:55

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